MEDIA ADVISORY: Peace Corps Acting Director to Engage Students at Michigan State University in the Fight Against Global Hunger

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 14, 2014 – Peace Corps Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will visit Michigan State University on Wednesday, Feb. 19 to engage students in the fight against hunger as part of the fourth stop on the Feed the FutureCampus Food Security Tour presented by the Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The tour aims to raise awareness among students and faculty about efforts to fight global hunger and poverty around the world by connecting them to top innovation labs and introducing them to the whole of government Feed the Future initiative. Hessler-Radelet will be joined by University officials, including the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation Director Dr. Ajit Srivastava; the Legume Innovation Lab Director Dr. Cynthia Donovan; and professor of international development, agriculture and food resources Dr. David Tschirley.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Michigan State University International Center and feature presentations from three USAID-sponsored innovation labs: The Legume Lab, the Global Center for Food Systems Innovations Lab, and the Food Security Policy Lab. Following the presentations, attendees will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from various campus departments, local organizations, and student groups focused on agriculture and sustainable development.

The Feed the Future Campus Food Security Tour kicked off at the University of California, Davis last year, followed by stops at the University of Georgia and Virginia Polytechnic University. In the coming months, the tour will visit Oregon State University and Colorado State University. Each of the universities is home to innovation labs and collaborative research programs that are the result of a unique partnership between U.S. universities, developing country institutions and USAID.

Feed the Future is the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative. Led by USAID, it leverages the strengths and resources of 10 federal departments and agencies. The Peace Corps plays a unique role in Feed the Future by taking important food security messaging and practices to the grassroots level. Learn more about Feed the Future here, and learn more about Peace Corps’ food security projects here.

To learn more about the Peace Corps, students and community members can contact the Peace Corps Midwest Regional Office at chicago@peacecorps.gov.

About the Peace Corps:As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. When they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences – and a global outlook – back to the United States that enriches the lives of those around them. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide. Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.